$$$:
I’ve not worked for Maritime, but I have spoken with Maritime drivers and have heard nothing but bad things about working for them. Push push push. For anyone thinking of joining the industry it might be a means to an end, but don’t expect much job satisfaction with this lot.
How they or any another can push drivers.Lorry limited for 50 or 56 m/p.So simply drive and drive.In the dock or customer driver can t push customers.If drivers simply work and not "taked"time ,not waste time for nothing that all will be good.But if some driver want talk 1 hours ,rest much more that limit that this is not maritime fault.In any single job boss ask attitude,perfomance .And every single job have limited brake time,limited talking time.
Let me say I havent worked for Maritime and Im talking in general terms.
The pressure comes from having an office worker second guessing a drivers every move. If a driver has a 45 break and gets a phone call after 47mins asking "Why arent you driving?" that isnt good. If youre being loaded, and get a call asking “How much longer you gonna be there?” “We need that load here now,” asking about summat out of your control, then that isnt good. It all adds to pressure. Drivers respond by driving quicker than they should and cutting breaks to the second etc etc. Not good for them, and a high turnover of drivers isnt good for the employer either.
Edit having a speed limiter doesn`t mean 56mph is safe in 30mph limit!
Every single company some drivers work years and years but some drivers jump from company to company and everywhere they not happy.Near all warehouse or factory staff have break limit 30 minute and no more.If company give freedom for drivers that some of them will stop every 30 minute for break,coffee time and taked 1 hours break (instead 45min) simply because he need post at facebook or talk by phone.If drivers was not very well and he taked extra brake that it is another situation.
Rubbish.
On thursday I did a shift that started in the early evening - I only found out about it 2 hours before I started. I was told by agency it would be a short one. I ended up having to go into central London and it took 4 hours for me to be loaded. I was driving back at 3am and was incredibly tired. To the point where I didn’t feel safe. So I pulled off the motorway and took a two-hour nap in the cab. I make no apologies for this - it was the safest thing for me to do. I’m not going to put my safety or other road users safety as risk so a company makes more money.
If you are exhausted and need an hours break take it. The law sets the minimum amount of time that should be taken not the maximum.
sammym:
On thursday I did a shift that started in the early evening - I only found out about it 2 hours before I started.
sammym:
I was told by agency it would be a short one
Sounds like a really good agency you work for there mate.
Give you lots of notice of work. (Which you can always refuse if youre tired of course) Honest about the length of shift youre gonna do.
Never told you a lie or given you a bum steer in the past I guess?
sammym:
4 hours for me to be loaded
Having a four hour load I guess you`d plenty of time for a nap? Or were you doing the loading?
sammym:
it was the safest thing for me to do
Maybe safer not to accept a shift at short notice after you have presumably done a full day`s work anyway?
Franglias - I wasn’t loading. But I had to operate the tail lift. Was more bored than anything. Nothing for 20 mins and then taillift. Then nothing. Repeated over and over again. So I couldn’t nap.
And I hadn’t done a full days work, but I had been sleeping normally. I challenge anyone to randomly do a 14.5hour night shift when they are not used to it and not need more than a single 45 min break safely. I finished work when I’d usually be getting into work after an 8 hour sleep.
I only gave this example to show that people who take more than a 45 are not necessarily being lazy. As it turned out the place that tipped me were not open til 7am anyway - so I had another hour nap as well - but I still think I did the right thing to find somewhere to rest when I was so exhausted I didn’t feel safe. I’d personally do it again.
sammym:
Franglias - I wasn’t loading. But I had to operate the tail lift. Was more bored than anything. Nothing for 20 mins and then taillift. Then nothing. Repeated over and over again. So I couldn’t nap.
And I hadn’t done a full days work, but I had been sleeping normally. I challenge anyone to randomly do a 14.5hour night shift when they are not used to it and not need more than a single 45 min break safely. I finished work when I’d usually be getting into work after an 8 hour sleep.
I only gave this example to show that people who take more than a 45 are not necessarily being lazy. As it turned out the place that tipped me were not open til 7am anyway - so I had another hour nap as well - but I still think I did the right thing to find somewhere to rest when I was so exhausted I didn’t feel safe. I’d personally do it again .
Yes you did the right thing to park and sleep when you were tired. No argument.
You were a …?.. to take on a night shift when you were on a normal sleep pattern.
If youd put yourself in that position again then you maybe someone who wont learn from your mistakes, wont admit to making an error of judgment, and are prepared to do anything to gain cash from a night shift for an agency. An agency that on numerous previous posts you have told us are unreliable? Because of your seeming inability to acknowledge youve made an error in working for them, you compound your error by repeating the same thing.
And I dont suppose it occurred to you to tell them to bring out all the pallets when they were all ready, not in dribs n`drabs?
sammym:
Franglias - I wasn’t loading. But I had to operate the tail lift. Was more bored than anything. Nothing for 20 mins and then taillift. Then nothing. Repeated over and over again. So I couldn’t nap.
And I hadn’t done a full days work, but I had been sleeping normally. I challenge anyone to randomly do a 14.5hour night shift when they are not used to it and not need more than a single 45 min break safely. I finished work when I’d usually be getting into work after an 8 hour sleep.
I only gave this example to show that people who take more than a 45 are not necessarily being lazy. As it turned out the place that tipped me were not open til 7am anyway - so I had another hour nap as well - but I still think I did the right thing to find somewhere to rest when I was so exhausted I didn’t feel safe. I’d personally do it again .
Yes you did the right thing to park and sleep when you were tired. No argument.
You were a …?.. to take on a night shift when you were on a normal sleep pattern.
If youd put yourself in that position again then you maybe someone who wont learn from your mistakes, wont admit to making an error of judgment, and are prepared to do anything to gain cash from a night shift for an agency. An agency that on numerous previous posts you have told us are unreliable? Because of your seeming inability to acknowledge youve made an error in working for them, you compound your error by repeating the same thing.
And I dont suppose it occurred to you to tell them to bring out all the pallets when they were all ready, not in dribs n`drabs?
I work(ed) for two agencies. One were not great and I no longer do shifts for them. The other has never really messed me about and have been good. Not perfect - but I’d happily recommend them to a new driver.
If you are going to start doing nights do you take a weeks holiday to prep yourself for it? Or do you crack on and work through it? It was one night shift and no harm was done. I don’t see it as an issue. If I didn’t want to do it I wouldn’t have agreed. The money was good and I was happy.
The load wasn’t on pallets. And due to the location and other issues, it wasn’t possible to get them to bring it out all at once. Not least that they had to carry the stuff up by hand as it was too big to fit in the lifts. I don’t think they would have been too happy in the middle of the night if I suggested I sleep whilst they lugged all the stuff up flights of stairs and left a bloke to guard it on the pavement - in central London with drunk people all around.
On thursday I did a shift that started in the early evening - I only found out about it 2 hours before I started. I was told by agency it would be a short one. I ended up having to go into central London and it took 4 hours for me to be loaded. I was driving back at 3am and was incredibly tired. To the point where I didn’t feel safe. So I pulled off the motorway and took a two-hour nap in the cab. I make no apologies for this - it was the safest thing for me to do. I’m not going to put my safety or other road users safety as risk so a company makes more money.
If you are exhausted and need an hours break take it. The law sets the minimum amount of time that should be taken not the maximum.
[/quote]
Drivers must start shift when he is good rested.
Agency never know exactly what will do drivers and where he go and how good or bad will be traffic.Problem for company not how long drivers taked break but for this longest break he want money.Right decision must one if drivers need extra break that he can taked but this break must be unpaud.If you taked taxi .Are you will be happy if taxi drivers turn on counter but will stop for nothing ■■?If you taked plumbers to repair you house and will paid him per hours.Do you will happy if this plumber will very slow and taked smoked time or break so much??
Andrejs:
Drivers must start shift when he is good rested.
Agreed.
Andrejs:
Agency never know exactly what will do drivers and where he go and how good or bad will be traffic.
Agreed.
Andrejs:
if drivers need extra break that he can taked but this break must be unpaud
So , if someone is too tired to work, because they are working excessively long hours, for multiple employers, and they stop for a kip, they shouldnt be paid for their sleep time? Agreed. The second employer shouldnt pay extra cash for the driver`s tiredness caused by his lack of sleep.
Andrejs:
Do you will happy if this plumber will very slow
Plumbers working slow is one thing.
An office wallah criticizing a driver for taking too long, or going too slow, when he likely isnt qualified to do the job, and cant see road conditions is different. And something as simple phoning a driver to ask for ETAs can be stress inducing to a driver.
At present time lazy,slow drivers get much more money per year.Because he taked time every corner and bay.I know drivers who stop oposite collection factory and if office staff call him that he talk who somebody said must wait.But professional drivers who simply work good and do break by rulles get less money because he back to yard more quickly.Company must introduce some attitude bonus for driver.If drivers drive correctly,do job safely but more quickly ,drive more miles per gallon that he must get bonus.But i think this is not possible because lazy drivers will run to Union rep and cray who they top hard workers and company want pay him bonus ,make discrimination.
Andrejs:
At present time lazy,slow drivers get much more money per year.Because he taked time every corner and bay.I know drivers who stop oposite collection factory and if office staff call him that he talk who somebody said must wait.But professional drivers who simply work good and do break by rulles get less money because he back to yard more quickly.Company must introduce some attitude bonus for driver.If drivers drive correctly,do job safely but more quickly ,drive more miles per gallon that he must get bonus.But i think this is not possible because lazy drivers will run to Union rep and cray who they top hard workers and company want pay him bonus ,make discrimination.
Most drivers who do this are not really lazy, but have some sort of grudge against the employer or some elaborate justification for why it is consistent with the customary conditions of the job and the work/wage bargain at that workplace.
Usually employers who have many of these drivers, have the drivers they deserve - because a driver who will compromise his integrity, will more easily allow himself to be mistreated. He accepts the opportunism of the employer in attacking his pay and conditions, because that driver is an opportunist himself. And those drivers become an excuse for the employer’s own behaviour, who will claim to be at the mercy of unruly drivers, rather than the employer reaping the result of the tone which he has set in his long-term dealings with the workforce.
Unless your employer is outstandingly and admirably fair in his dealings, and you are already on supreme pay and conditions (and this would be incredible nowadays), I say do your own work and keep your own dignity, and let others do what they do, and remember that it is the employer who is the main opportunist who will seek to shave pennies off the workforce at every corner and worsen their conditions at every stop.
If you accept more supervision and an “attitude bonus”, it will be your pay that is ultimately undermined, when the employer (having established those supervisory mechanisms) decides your attitude is no longer up to scratch - because it is he, not you or the other drivers, that has the most power to decide what effort or attitude is sufficient to deserve the wage.
Thank you for those of you with kind words and for recognising that we are trying to do something positive for the industry.
It’s very easy to be cynical but we are genuinely trying to do the right thing and give new drivers proper, quality and structured training rather than just chucking them a set of keys.
A big area we concentrate on is the welfare side of the job, including how to look after themselves, stay healthy, eat properly and most importantly rest properly.
All our trucks are limited to 52mph and every driver is paid by the hour.
All of us should be welcoming new blood into the industry and showing them how to do the job well. Our industry faces many challenges and there is enough to discourage people looking at a career within it without some of those who already work in it portraying it so negatively.
Hopefully more companies will adopt this approach to invest in new blood and ensure they are brought along in the correct manner.
Many of us portray it so negatively because that is the reality in the vast majority of cases. I worked for Maritime briefly and whilst they’re not the worst I’ve come across they weren’t a shining beacon for others to emulate. Very much a them and us attitude personified by that wee weasel at Tilbury , Alex Williams…and others of the pointy shoe brigade!
I don’t know how you can say what your doing is a positive,yes bringing young blood through is but you train them the “maritime” way and from what I can see that is to ■■■■ up as much corporate bull shine as you can…
One of your lads was telling me he was told to take holiday even though he didn’t want to.
I said they can’t tell you and he said well there’s nothing I can do…
If that’s how you lot treat your men then something is wrong…
Seems to me the high turnover is due to most drivers not wanting to work to these silly rules and the sponges that stay end up as puppet toy to fancy boys in the office…
yorkshire terrier:
I don’t know how you can say what your doing is a positive,yes bringing young blood through is but you train them the “maritime” way and from what I can see that is to ■■■■ up as much corporate bull shine as you can…
One of your lads was telling me he was told to take holiday even though he didn’t want to.
I said they can’t tell you and he said well there’s nothing I can do…
If that’s how you lot treat your men then something is wrong…
Seems to me the high turnover is due to most drivers not wanting to work to these silly rules and the sponges that stay end up as puppet toy to fancy boys in the office…
This it not unusual practice with big companies tbh,JCB do the same as do Toyota at their production plant in Derby.
Depends on the circumstances on taking holiday - when it gets to the last three months of the year, those that haven’t taken any! or very little get a not too subtle reminder that it’s a use it or lose it policy more or less. On the other hand, we wouldn’t tell anyone that they had to take holiday to suit us apart from the shut down at Xmas.
There are two trailers in the yard, one is loaded for Athens and one for Rome, sort it out with Bill. Give us a shout when you’re tipped and I will start looking for something back.
Everyone is happy and it leaves the boss free to paint a couple of trailers.
Life was so much simpler before bull manure. [emoji14]
TomCrin:
One of your lads was telling me he was told to take holiday even though he didn’t want to. I said they can’t tell you.
They can.
It’s not quite that simple.
It is the worker, in the first place, who is entitled to take paid holiday for his own refreshment and leisure.
The employer is entitled, giving adequate notice, to require holidays to be taken on a particular schedule - for example, if there is a factory shutdown at fixed times during the year.
But the employer cannot simply demand that individuals take odd holidays at random or on short notice, and treat this as a discharge of the obligation to provide paid holiday.
The employer can of course stand you down on full pay at any time, but such lay-offs are not necessarily considered to be “holiday” or to count against your holiday entitlement. Holidays are not simply pre-allocated layoff-days for disposal according to the employer’s schedule.
It is of course another matter if you are coming to the end of a holiday year and the employer effectively “sends you on holiday” in order to ensure that you take your quota of holiday for that year (which would otherwise not be taken at all), but why a worker would prefer to work than take paid holiday that is available I cannot fathom.